Written Answers Thursday 12 August 2010

Scottish Executive

2014 Commonwealth Games

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many countries have booked Scottish-based training facilities for the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many countries have expressed an interest in booking Scottish-based training facilities for the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Nicola Sturgeon: So far, one country has made a booking, three countries have expressed an interest and discussions are taking place with a further three countries in basing their athletes in pre-games training camps in Scotland for the 2014 Games.

  However, at this time, the focus of Commonwealth Games Associations (and those who are also National Olympic/Paralympic Committees) is the Youth Olympics and Delhi Games. It is after then that the nations we are targeting will turn their attention to finalising their plans for future Games. In the interim, we are exploring options for Scottish Enterprise to host an event for Commonwealth Games Associations during the Delhi Games.

2014 Commonwealth Games

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34716 by Shona Robison on 16 July 2010, whether it can confirm that the City of Glasgow is the official host of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Glasgow or Scotland is the official host of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Shona Robison: Glasgow is the official host city of the 2014 Commonwealth Games supported fully by the Scottish Government.

Cancer

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure that GPs are suitably equipped to (a) diagnose and (b) speedily refer patients with rare forms of cancer.

Nicola Sturgeon: Better Cancer Care recognised that early detection of cancer is crucial to increase the chance of a positive outcome for the patient. Through the Scottish Cancer Taskforce, the Scottish Government is working to improve awareness of possible symptoms of all cancers amongst the public and medical staff. This activity includes supporting the wider sharing of GP data and best practice on cancer diagnosis as this will contribute to more effective and efficient primary care pathways, increasing the possibility for earlier detection.

  Medical training includes the ability to diagnose a range of conditions, both common and rare, from the signs and symptoms presented by patients. For GPs in training, the new Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) curriculum includes as one of its key competencies, "managing primary care contact with patients dealing with unselected problems". The curriculum recognises that doctors cannot be experts in everything but do need to know where to access information in order to make appropriate and speedy referrals.

  Furthermore, to support GPs to refer patients with suspected cancer as early as possible, referral guidance was published in 2007, called the Scottish Executive Health Department Letter (2007) 9: Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer. In early 2009, the guidelines were shortened into a user-friendly version for quick reference. All GPs across NHS Scotland have been sent a copy of this guidance, which is also available on the Scottish Government website: www.scotland.gov.uk/quickreferenceguide/suspectedcancer.

Child Care

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it envisages for private and voluntary nurseries in the delivery of the Early Years Framework.

Adam Ingram: Private and voluntary nurseries have an important role to play in implementing the early years framework and improving outcomes for our young children. We are keen to ensure that there are a range of service providers and that high quality and flexible services are available which meet families’ needs.

  Decisions on matching services with needs and circumstances are best taken at local level by councils and partner providers in the private and voluntary sectors working together. Scottish Government financial support for local early years services is included within the overall local government settlement to allow councils more flexibility to meet local needs.

Child Care

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which national charities it is working with, and how it is supporting national organisations, to increase access to and improve the quality of early years care and learning.

Adam Ingram: Scottish Government ministers and officials are in regular contact with a wide range of children’s charities. We provide around £7.2 million per annum through the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund to support such charities.

  Matching local service provision with local needs and circumstances is for local authorities and their partners to decide. Scottish Government funding to support early years services is incorporated in the overall local government settlement.

  We also work closely with other organisations, including Learning and Teaching Scotland, who have produced a range of materials to help embed the Curriculum for Excellence in the early years. The Care Commission and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education ensure that standards of care and education are maintained and improved in early years settings.

Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to incentivise young people to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is improving the promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in schools.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government supports a range of measures to encourage young people to study STEM subjects. Science and Engineering 21: An Action Plan for Education in the 21st Century launched in March this year sets out a framework and actions aimed at raising the profile of STEM subjects and associated career paths. The actions include highlighting real-life applications of science learning, building on the "Do something creative. Do science" marketing campaign, and showcasing science role models through the STEM Ambassadors Programme which brings practising scientists and technologists into schools to assist with activities, talks and careers events.

  Last year, the Scottish Government introduced the Scottish Baccalaureate in Sciences which encourages more young people to study sciences in upper secondary school and aims to help equip them for the transition to tertiary education and employment. On 5 August, 89 young people received the first ever Science Baccalaureates awarded.

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/Science/Plan.

Education

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a guaranteed training place for under-18s.

Keith Brown: 16+ Learning Choices ensures an offer of a suitable place in post-16 learning for every eligible young person who wants it. This will include staying on at school, entering further or higher education, taking up employment, participating in a National Training Programme, volunteering, or taking part in personal skills development in a community learning and development setting or a third sector organisation.

  It is an integral part of Curriculum for Excellence and is central to facilitating delivery of the national indicator for positive and sustained post-16 destinations. By December 2010 16+ Learning Choices will be a universal model for all young people leaving compulsory education or any episode of learning during the senior phase of Curriculum for Excellence.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how and with what frequency inspection of home education is carried out.

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many inspections of home education have been used in the past year.

Michael Russell: In December 2007, the Scottish Government published statutory guidance on home education, following consultation. In that guidance it is recommended that local authorities maintain annual contact with home educating families. Precisely how contact is established and followed up if needs be is a matter for the authority.

Epilepsy

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of proposals by NHS Fife to direct epilepsy specialist nurses to spend one day or more a week on general ward duties.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Fife have informed me that they have no such proposals in place.

  While policies, frameworks and resources are provided by the Scottish Government, it is for each NHS board to decide how to have robust processes in place to ensure the provision of safe, effective and high-quality patient care which is delivered by the right professional at the right time.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the average cost of land per housing unit was in the new urban village in the Tillydrone area of Aberdeen.

Nicola Sturgeon: The average cost of land per housing unit is £29,452.

Mental Health

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for antidepressants were issued in the (a) Dundee and (b) Angus Community Health Partnership areas in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on prescriptions issued for antidepressants is not collected but the number of antidepressant items dispensed in 2008 and 2009 for these Partnerships is shown in the following table:

  

Prescribing Community Health Partnership
Calendar Year 2008
Calendar Year 2009


Angus Community Health Partnership
80,057
85,456


Dundee Community Health Partnership
131,875
139,524



  Source: Prescribing Information System, ISD Scotland. IR2010-01887.

  It should be noted that prescribing rates can be influenced not only by prevalence and detection rates of depression, but also prescribing practice around the dosage and duration of the prescription – for example the same people might be staying on antidepressants for longer periods, or they may be receiving a higher dose.

  We will ensure those who need antidepressants will continue to receive them in accordance with clinical guidelines, while investing in alternatives that increase choice for clinicians and service users through improved access to evidence based interventions such as psychological therapies.

Olympic Games

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many countries have booked Scottish-based training facilities for the 2012 Olympic Games

Nicola Sturgeon: Three countries have booked Scottish based facilities for their preparations for London 2012 (Zambia, Namibia and the British swimming team). Edinburgh Leisure are also in ongoing discussions with a National Paralympic Committee for the use of the Royal Commonwealth Pool.

Olympic Games

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many countries have expressed an interest in booking Scottish-based training facilities for the 2012 Olympic Games

Nicola Sturgeon: Eight countries have expressed an interest in using Scottish facilities as pre-Games training camps in 2012. Through Scotland’s Pre-Games Training Camps Co-ordinator and the venue managers, we continue to engage with those, and other, targeted countries both for the 2012 and 2014 Games.

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3M-33983 by Keith Brown on 2 June 2010, whether the role of the Scottish Futures Trust in the Scottish Government’s school building programme has involved more than informing local authorities of their funding allocations and, if so, what work it has carried out.

Keith Brown: All of the Scottish Futures Trust’s (SFT) activities, including SFT’s involvement in the Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme, are outlined in its business plans which are accessible on the SFT website ( http://www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/ ).

  The most recent Business plan for 2010-11 details SFT’s achievements against objectives which were set out in the 2009-10 business plan. SFT’s annual report will be published later this year will also provide further details on its progress.

Transport

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on each project in the Strategic Transport Projects Review, detailing (a) all work done on each project and (b) what action it is taking to further develop each project

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35323 on 4 August 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx